School of Law Welcomes its Class of 2015

The University of St. Thomas School of Law welcomed its class of 2015 on Monday, Aug. 20. The students have completed their first week on campus, and were joined by returning second- and third-year students Monday, Aug. 27.

There are 146 students in the class of 2015. “It is a strong class with improved credentials, better gender balance, and wide geographical diversity,” said Cari Haaland, assistant dean of admissions.

The class of 2015 includes graduates of 69 different institutions from 23 states. Forty-two percent of the students are from outside of Minnesota.

Interim Dean Neil Hamilton said the school’s mission helps draw students from across the country. “We have focused on identifying the values and skills employers and clients need, and our mission helps us meet those needs head-on by equipping students with strong relationship skills and a sense of accountability that prepares them to excel in the workplace.”

As planned, the class of 2015 is smaller than the class of 2014. “After several years of recruiting slightly larger entering classes, this year we decided to return to the law school’s original class sizes,” Haaland said.

“This is always an exciting time of year, and we have a lot to look forward to,” Hamilton said. This fall the School of Law will likely name a new dean and there are a variety of academic activities on campus open to the public, including a national conference on mentoring in the legal profession, and the Law Journal symposium, which will focus on professionalism and ethics across the professions.

After closing in 1933 because of the Great Depression, St. Thomas’ School of Law reopened in 2001. It is located on the university’s downtown Minneapolis campus.